News & Reports 2012-02-26

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In This EditionArab and western foreign ministers endorse the Syrian National Council, the country's major opposition group, as the "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people but reject militarization of the conflict.

A senior Pentagon official apologizes to Muslims for the burning of Korans at a military base in Afghanistan.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick indicates that he supports a U.S. candidate to head the World Bank after he resigns in June.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says next week's European Union summit in Brussels will focus on economic growth and fighting unemployment.

Hot Issue Reports"Friends of Syria" Conference Rejects Military Intervention in SyriaThe "Friends of Syria" Conference has concluded in Tunisia with a consensus on recognizing the Syrian National Council, the country's main opposition group, as the "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people.

CRI's Wei Tong reports, the conclusion ultimately means that, for the time being, militarization of the conflict in Syria has been avoided, since more and more Arab countries have come to realize that foreign intervention only results in riots, violence and poverty.

The Arab League Secretary-General, Nabil al-Arabi said he wouldn't let Syria turn into a regional or international battlefield for political interest groups, stressing that the Arab League would respect Syria's sovereignty, and refuse any form of foreign intervention.

He called for an end to the killing of civilians and for dialogue to begin between the Syrian government and the opposition.

Meanwhile, Tunisian foreign minister Rafik Salam says he does not advocate a solution to the Syrian crisis by means of force.

"We don't want the use of military power; we want a peaceful and safe transition of power, along with the preservation of the unity of Syria. We understand the complexities of the Syrian situation and we don't want to enter the game of big powers."Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki also warned against arming groups of Syrians to fight against their compatriots, or introducing foreign military intervention to solve the crisis in Syria; claiming that either option would be a big mistake.

Tunisia's standpoint on the Syrian issue is echoed by Egypt's foreign minister Kamel Amr who said his country rejected the option of arming Syrian rebels.

"We want a peaceful solution; our aim is to stop the bloodshed. That is the ultimate goal, so let's see the Arab League plan. We are all behind it and it is a very clear plan; stop the violence, through military withdrawal, political dialogue, and the formation of a national unity government. This is the plan that everyone should be backing right now at this point."The "Friends of Syria" conference also moved towards giving the Syrian National Council more power and recognition as the "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people.

The conference also agreed upon the establishment of an Arab peacekeeping force to ensure stability during Syria's democratic transition, as the Arab League said it is aware and capable of shouldering the responsibility of maintaining stability and peace within the region.

But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Assad's government, claiming that it was a threat to regional security.

Protests broke out outside the conference venue, expressing dissatisfaction at the meddling of some Western and Arab countries in Syria's internal affairs.

China and Russia boycotted the conference.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said earlier, as a friend of the Syrian and Arab peoples, China believes any action taken by the international community should help to ease tensions, boost political dialogue, resolve differences and maintain peace and stability in the Middle East.

For CRI, I'm Wei Tong.

NATO Withdraws from Afghan MinistriesNATO has withdrawn all its personnel from Afghan ministries after two senior US officers were shot dead in the interior ministry building in Kabul.

Gen. John Allen, NATO Commander in Afghanistan, says in a statement that for obvious reasons, he has taken immediate measures to recall all other ISAF personnel working in ministries in and around Kabul.

Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, earlier confirmed the killing of the US servicemen.

"What we can confirm so far is that in the inner city of Kabul an individual pulled his weapon and opened fire on members of the International Security Assistance Force. We can confirm that two ISAF personnel were killed in this incident."But he said it's too early to determine whether the shootings were connected to the protests over the Koran burning incident at a NATO base.

"We are not linking this incident as yet. We have to look into the details of what is going to come out over the coming hours. Of course we have had a tense week behind us and it is very regretful to see the loss of life again on this day."The shootings took place as rage gripped Afghanistan for a fifth day over the Koran burning incident.

Afghanistan's Taliban movement has claimed responsibility for the shootings, which it said were in retaliation for the desecration of the Korans.

The week-long protests over the burning incident have killed at least 30 people in Afghanistan.

US Pentagon Apologizes for the Burning of KoransMeanwhile, a senior Pentagon official has apologized to Muslims in the Washington-area for the burning of Korans at a military base in Afghanistan.

Peter Lavoy, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia and Pacific Security Affairs, apologized multiple times during a speech at a suburban Washington mosque.

"I come here to apologize on behalf of the Department of Defense for the incident that took place in Afghanistan this week when American military personnel unknowingly and improperly disposed of Islamic religious materials, including the holy Koran."The official adds that the incident is under investigation and all coalition troops in Afghanistan are being retrained in the handling of religious materials.

The Pentagon apology comes following days of protests across Afghanistan and Pakistan over the burning of the Korans since the incident happened on Tuesday.

The Pentagon aims to defuse anti-America sentiment, which rages on despite a previous apology by US President Barack Obama.

Military officials say at least 20 people have died in the prolonged protests, including two US soldiers.

US North Korean Envoy: Inter-Korean Relations Key to Resumption of Six-party TalksThe U.S. special envoy for North Korean affairs has reaffirmed Washington's stance that improvement of inter-Korea relations is key to resuming stalled nuclear talks with Pyongyang.

Glyn Davies made the remarks in Seoul while briefing South Korean officials on the two-day talks in Beijing between him and his North Korean counterpart.

"These were serious discussions. They were in-depth. We covered wide-range of issues. I obliviously made the point and I made it clear it quiet early in our talks with the DPRK that it is very important to us that the DPRK find a way to improve its relations with the Republic of Korea."The meeting in Beijing was the first between Washington and Pyongyang officials since the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in December.

The US envoy said the meeting marks a "good" beginning with the new leadership of North Korea, signaling the resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks may be realized in the not-too-distant future.

The denuclearization talks, which also involve China, Japan and Russia, were last held in December 2008. North Korea unilaterally quit the forum in April 2009 but has recently expressed its wish to return to the negotiating table.

The multilateral talks have also been overshadowed by tensions between the two Koreas since two deadly border incidents in 2010.

Gillard and Rudd Campaign ahead of Vote on Labor LeadershipAustralian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her former Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd are campaigning in an effort to gain support within the Labor Party ahead of a leadership vote on Monday.

Gillard used a Labor regional conference to show her confidence in attracting strong support in Monday's ballot.

"The ultimate measure of a government isn't opinion polls in newspapers. The ultimate measure of a government is whether it led this nation to a stronger and fairer future. That is what I am seeking to do as a prime minister, that's what I've been determined to do through big reforms, unpopular reforms."Far more Labor lawmakers have spoken out publicly in support for Gillard than for Rudd ahead of the secret ballot.

But undecided lawmakers may be swayed by three reputable opinion polls published on Saturday that agreed that Rudd was the preferred choice for prime minister over Gillard.

On a separate occasion, Rudd cited the opinion polls as indicating that he is the right person to lead the nation.

"Everyone will look at the opinion polls (and) draw their own conclusions. They're out there in black and white for everyone to look at, up to them in terms of what conclusions they make."Gillard has called a party leadership ballot in a bid to end a bitter power struggle with Rudd after he resigned as foreign minister a few days ago.

Rudd was prime minister and Gillard was his deputy when she seized power in 2010 in a snap leadership challenge.

World Bank President Indicates Support for a US Candidate to Succeed himWorld Bank President Robert Zoellick indicates that he supports a U.S. candidate to head the World Bank after he resigns in June.

Zoellick made the comment on the sidelines of a meeting in Singapore.

"I don't think it's a bad idea for America to share responsibility by heading some of these institutions. But I want the United States to feel a sense of responsibility to the international system, so in that sense if you get the right American candidate I think that could be good for the United States as well as for the Bank."The World Bank last week launched the nomination process to select a new president to succeed Zoellick, inviting names from any of its 187 member countries.

The Obama administration has said it would open the process to competition. Some nations say it is time for a non-American candidate to take the helm of the bank, pointing to the growing economic clout of the developing world.

On the subject of the Euro crisis, Zoellick said the Greek bailout is only a temporary measure.

"I think it buys time, I think it's too early to know partly it depends on the actions the Greeks have to take, I think that the debt adjustment was important, there's additional financial support. But I think the European Union has dealt with Greece as one element but the core elements are really going to be the success of the bigger countries such as Italy and Spain."Next, Zoellick heads to China for the release, on Monday, of a major economic report by the World bank and a Chinese government think tank.

Death Toll from Argentina's Train Crash Reaches 51The body of another victim has been found among the wreckage of Argentina's recent deadly train crash, putting the death toll at 51. Over 700 people were also injured.

The Argentine government immediately sent a rescue team to the site of the accident, but a 20-year-old man, named Lucas Rey, was still reported missing following the preliminary search.

Nilda Garre, Argentina's security minister, ordered that search efforts continue in the hope of locating Lucas, whose body was later found between the third and forth carriages at the accident site, thus increasing the death toll to 51.

In the accident, one Chinese person was killed and three others were injured. The Chinese embassy has expressed its deepest condolences to the victims and their families.

Zhu Jingyang is the political counselor of the embassy.

"We will follow closely the conditions of the injured Chinese nationals."A packed train crashed into station buffers during rush hour on Wednesday, on a line linking Buenos Aires to its western suburbs. The collision is the third biggest railway accident to have ever taken place in Argentina.

Argentina's government has declared a two-day period of mourning for the tragedy with flags at half-mast.

German Chancellor: Next Week's EU Summit to Focus on Growth and EmploymentGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel says that next week's European Union summit in Brussels would focus on economic growth and fighting unemployment.

"On Thursday and Friday next week we will speak about how we can stimulate growth in Europe. Nearly every country in Europe has to deal with fighting unemployment. That's why we will put our focus on growth, stimulating growth and fighting bureaucracy as well as implementing structural reforms."Merkel was addressing journalists in Stralsund after meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the meetings of euro-zone finance ministers.

Merkel also stressed the importance of ensuring that measures to restructure Greece are implemented quickly.

"Now we have to make sure that the voluntary debt restructuring which is new territory for us and of course for Greece, is well implemented. After which we can give the go-ahead for the second Greece program."Earlier this week, euro-zone finance ministers agreed a second bailout for Greece, which will get loans of more than 130bn euros and have about 107bn of its debt written off.

In return, Greece must cut its debt from 160% to 120.5% of GDP within eight years and accept a permanent EU economic monitoring mission. The country needs the funds to avoid bankruptcy on 20 March, when maturing loans must be repaid.

The German parliament is expected to approve the second Greek bailout on Monday. But it is not yet clear whether Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition will win the vote without support from the opposition.

Greece Makes Formal Bond Swap Offer to Private Bond HoldersGreece has set in motion the largest-ever sovereign debt restructuring by formally launching a bond swap offer to private holders of its bonds.

The swap is part of a second bailout package to prevent Greece from bankruptcy and further financial turmoil across the Euro-zone.

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said the restructuring program, set by international lenders, would benefit the country in the long run.

"The entire program that we are implementing in the country, this new program, this effort, these sacrifices, have a goal to save both the country and pensions. And when I say pensions I don't mean this generation's pensions but those of the future generations."Greece's new bailout package comes at the price of painful austerity measures that ordinary Greeks say have impoverished them.

A mix of tax hikes and wage and pension cuts have sent unemployment soaring, shuttered businesses and brought thousands of Greeks out on the streets for near-daily protests.

Athens has said it wants to conclude the debt swap by March 12. Focus now turns to the participation rate in the swap, to which Greece's private bond-holders have 10 days to respond.

Nelson Mandela in a Stable Condition; ANC Says "No Need to Panic"South African president Jacob Zuma has issued a statement saying doctors were satisfied with the former president Nelson Mandela's condition.

Mandela is in hospital where officials said he was admitted to investigate a medical complaint.

ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said earlier reports by foreign media that he had undergone surgery for a hernia were not correct.

"President Mandela is fine that's what we want to reassure people. It wasn't an emergency, his admission was not an emergency it was just to make sure that he undergoes procedure to determine the complains, he is fine we've been reassured. What we also wanted to say is that people need not panic because there was no need to panic, so South African must just continue praying for him as they have always done to recuperate."Mandela has been in poor health since his hospitalization a year ago, and has not appeared in public since. He has spent his time at his home in Johannesburg's northern suburbs and his ancestral village of Qunu in Eastern Cape.

China Daily: War Crimes UndeniableChina was recently enraged by a Japanese politician's denial of war crimes committed by Japanese soldiers in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing in 1937.

At a meeting attended by a delegation from Nanjing, Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura said he doubted whether invading Japanese troops massacred civilians in Nanjing in 1937. He based this belief on the kind treatment his father, an invading Japanese soldier, received in Nanjing in 1945. He posed the question, "Why were the people in Nanjing kind to Japanese soldiers only eight years after the incident?"Following Kawamura's offensive remarks, the Chinese government lodged a stern protest with Japanese authorities while the city of Nanjing suspended its relations with Nagoya.

An editorial in the China Daily says the Japanese politician's distortion of history undermines the foundation of Sino-Japanese friendship and deeply offends Chinese people's feelings.

The newspaper notes the alarming fact that some Japanese people exploit the kindness that the Chinese people demonstrated following the atrocities and cite it as an excuse to whitewash undeniable war crimes.

The article says there is a considerable amount of witnesses and evidence to prove the cruel killing of 300,000 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war by Japanese troops during their occupation of Nanjing.

The newspaper also attempts to explain the reasons behind the kind treatment Kawamura's father received in Nanjing following the massacre. The article points out the tradition in Chinese culture of carrying out good deeds in the face of evil in the hope of a better future. When residents in Nanjing treated Japanese soldiers kindly after the war, this was because they were looking beyond their immediate enmity, and not because the atrocities had been forgotten.

In conclusion, the China Daily editorial says both peoples should never forget what happened during that dark period of history; not to ferment hostility but to cement a friendship that will endure through the ages.

***************************Xinhua: Arming Syrian Opposition may Lead to Bloody Civil WarForeign ministers of western and Arabic countries have concluded their meeting in Tunisia by endorsing the Syrian National Council, the country's major opposition group, as the "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people.

The meeting also reached consensus on avoiding a militarization of the conflict in the troubled country, as more and more Arab countries have recognized that foreign intervention, particularly military intervention, would only result in riots, violence and poverty.

While calling for an end to the killing of civilians and for starting dialogues between the Syrian government and the opposition, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi said he wouldn't let Syria turn into a battlefield for political interest groups, stressing the Arab League would respect Syria's sovereignty, and refuse any form of foreign intervention.

China's official news agency Xinhua has run a series of commentaries on the Syria issue and on the so-called Friends of Syria conference in Tunisia, reiterating the warning that arming the Syrian opposition or forcing a so-called regime change is a risky and heavily costly option, which may drag the Middle East country into a full-blown bloody civil war.

The commentaries state that before all hopes vanish, the international community should give dialogue a chance. The parties concerned should not turn a blind eye to the fact that Assad is actually responding to demands for domestic reforms.

A referendum on a draft constitution on Sunday will allow Syrian citizens to opt for new freedoms, end the monopoly on power of al-Assad's Baath Party and set a timetable for multiparty elections.

The Xinhua commentaries suggest that negotiations between the pro- and anti-government camps are recognition of the strength of opposition factors in Syria. Both sides are aware that they cannot remove the other side from the equation easily, and negotiations will serve as a pragmatic and feasible way to strike a peace deal and curb more bloodshed.